Eyes of Gold
by PhoenixFire777
Summary: Seventh year is almost half-way through, and Lily Evans kisses James, creating a hullabaloo in whole of Hogwarts. Things are going smoothly, too smoothly for Lily's liking. Then, a pair of eyes disrupt it all. Because eyes are a window to the soul, and when the soul is pure, it is gold.
1. Chapter 1

**Eyes of gold.**

Chapter 1: A burning quill.

I dragged my sleepy, saggy self up the spiral staircase that led to the Head's dorm. "Lily." a voice called. I turned around. Just my luck. It was James-bloody idiot-Potter. I knew it before he opened his mouth so I saved him the effort. As it was, I was not even remotely in the mood. "Please Potter. Just because you too are a head doesn't mean that you suddenly are allowed to snog mine. Okay? So knock it off. I'm not even going to bother cursing you this time." I gave him a piercing look and started turning back, but he quickly reached up and took my hand. Furious, I was about to break my own vow and curse him when he stepped back and ruffled his hair saying, "Sorry Lily. I wasn't going to ask you out. You just dropped your quill. Good night." he raised his hand half-way to wave goodbye, but then just sighed and walked off, most probably to roam around at night. I looked at my hand. He had slipped a quill into it. The eagle feather one, which I liked so much. I stared at the closed door behind which he'd disappeared.

Before I slept, I kept the quill with unusual care on my bedside table. Suddenly I heard a knock at the window."Carol! Oh, boy, where you been?" I babbled rushing over to the window and letting my dear little spotted owlet in. I opened the letter which had no address and no name on it save a scrabbled 'Lily' which looked so damp and crumpled that if that 'Lily' had really been me, I could be sure of having bathed in the sea first. The letter was from Alice Prewett, my best friend and substitute, much better substitute for an elder sister.

_Dearest Lily!_

_Guess what? I'm engaged! I know, I know. Your eyes have got to be bulging out, right?_

_It was so sweet, you know. We'd just finished Auror training and Frank was taking me on a date. We never made it because of what happened in Diagon Alley, of course. We had to go help. Don't worry, everything's fine. Everyone's okay, barring Lestrange, I think. Frank got her right in the stomach with an impedimenta spell and I stupified her at the same time. Then, after it was all over, Frank side-along apparated me on his street and right there, under that street lamp he said that he couldn't see me in that kind of danger and not know if I belonged to him. I asked him what he was talking about and he produced the ring asking me to marry him. I said yes, of course. It made sense, you know and I do love Frank. He was going to ask me at our date, but then he thought better late than never._

_Oh, Lily, it's your last year at Hogwarts, you're gonna be studying so hard! So, I'm enclosing a little gift for you. It's a suger quill. Suck on it in class instead of sulking on studies! No, just kidding. I wanted to give you something sweet to go with the news._

_Send me a reply!_

_Hugs and kisses, and tarts and puddings,_

_Alice :)_

I grinned, feeling blissfully happy for my friend as I gave her my congrats and spared her one of my precious chocoballs to go with the news. Still smiling I tossed a few treats to Carol to persuade him to deliver the letter. I closed the window starring at the small speck that flew towards my dear friend. Yawning, I went to the bed to find it occupied. I picked the sugar quill that had fallen out before. It didn't look like a suger quill to me. Maybe it was a new kind. I placed it on my bedside table anyway and prepared to go into Slumberland, when the 'suger quill' burst into flames. Half-asleep as I was, I staggered back and tried to grab my wand, which unfotunately was beside the two quills. When the fire did not stop, I knew it was some sort of spell, but knowledge was not useful right now. I had to reach my wand, but it was already burning and shooting off sparks. Suddenly, a jet of water doused both me and my table and all it had on it and it put the fire out. My wand unhurt and unburning lay on the little scorched table. My favourite quill too lay with all it's feathers intact. And behind me stood James Potter with his wand out. How did he get here? I asked myself, eyeing him with the corner of my eye. "What happened?" he asked. I'm not sure myself, I thought, but turned and said,"You got me drenched. What are you doing here?" He looked at me confusion clear on his face,"You screamed. Like, as loud as Merlin himself could. So I came to see what the matter was." That had been me screaming? " I screamed?" I put my doubt into words. "Yes. Loudly." James answered. He was being cautious, like he was afraid I might lash out at him again. It was true. I did it every time I saw him. But that was my only vent out for the NEWTs and Head duties stress. "Who gave that to you?" he asked pointing at a lump of burned feathers of the quill Alice had sent. "It came with a letter from a friend. It must have been a mistake. You never know these days what they sell in Diagon Alley." I said, remembering with a jolt what Alice had said. James looked at me with an expression I had never seen before. "The room's smokey. You wanna go get some air?" Yes, the room was definitely smokey. And I was suffocating. But outside...''Alright." I said, following him out. After all, he wasn't really asking me out, was he? Plus, his head was now deflated enough that I actually had started tolerating him and if he tried anything, I always had my wand.

Sitting in the astronomy tower, right on the railing, I felt like I was flying. Not on a broomstick, just flying. The wind whipped all around me and blew my hair back. My feet were firmly planted on the ledge but now, I freed my hands from the railing and stretched one out to touch the breeze. Even with everything going wrong in the world outside, this was one moment that gave me a break from it all. All the hideous things happening outside Hogwarts and the tests and stress and tension within it. I had found a break, A laspe just as Alice had. James was silent beside me. Watching me. Not discreetly like he usually did out of fear I would hex him, but openly. Just looking at me, observing me. And then, sudden as the gust of wind that hit me then, kissing me. His lips were soft and gentle against mine, not at all the fiery passion that I would have expected. For a long time I did not do anything but grip the railing with both hands. I didn't even close my eyes. I could feel somehow, that this was the last time he was ever going to try. That, after this he would just give up asking me out. His lips started to draw away from mine. They finally did. He jumped down onto the floor and said,"Lily, I love you. I just wanted you to know. I wanted to do that just once. Throw any hex you want at me, but just remember that I love you." He just stood there with his eyes closed, posture relaxed except for the creases of worry on his temple. I turned on the railing, not caring that I was turning my back on an eagle's eye view and shot a spell at him that would pull him towards me. Then I put my wand back in my pocket and put my lips to his. He sighed in wonder, surprise and estacity. When we finally pulled apart he chuckled,"And I wanted you to do that to me forever." and then kissed me again pulling me down.

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A/N:

Hello, readers! This is my first James and Lily fan fiction story so I would like any suggestions or any criticism if you could give me any. Praise, of course, I would not deny. So please review and tell.

-Phoenix


	2. Chapter 2: A fading glow

Chapter 2: A fading glow.

The next morning, when I woke up, my lips were still tingling with the kiss from the previous night. I quickly brushed and dressed up, securing my tie with usual Gryffindor pride. I then went to the common room of the Head's dorm to find James sitting on an armchair, poring over a piece of parchment. "Hi, James." I greeted him as I neared, a tad bit shy. His face glowed with the most beautiful smile I'd seen when he saw me."Hey." he answered,"So, you ready to go down have breakfast?" "Sure." I nodded as he came over to me and pulled me into a hug. Normally, this would have bugged me like anything, but with one kiss, things had changed. I was suddenly glad of the burning quill as I inhaled James's woody smell. He let go, but I kept my arms around him."Mmmm, I love astronomy." He laughed and leaned down to brush his lips against mine. "Well who doesn't love star gazing." he said with a wink. I rolled my eyes and extracted my hands from around his neck. We walked down to the great hall hand in hand which I knew would result in shocked expressions, but I was way underestimating the crowd of Hogwarts. Soon as we entered, there was a deafening ruckus. I immediately recognised that James had told all about the kiss to the Marauders. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. After we were finally sitted, next to each other at the far end of the table, he caught hold of my hand again. "Prongs are you not going to eat?" Peter asked looking ridiculous, firstly, because of his stuffed mouth, and secondly because of his froggy expression. "Of course I am, Wormy.I mean, there's treacle tart today!" James exclaimed, grabbing the fork with his left hand. "Aw, how romantic, Prongs. Sacrificing your right hand to hold your girlfriend's left hand." Sirius gushed in false girly voice, topping it off with a giggle. James shrugged and began enjoying his treacle tart. I looked at Remus, who had recently arrived, with an exasperated expression. He gave an amused smile and shook his head. Halfway through breakfast, McGonagall descended upon us. I nugded James as she approached; he was too busy making jokes. As McGonagall cleared her throat with hawk-like eyes narrowed on the group, James gulped. I stiffled a giggle that arose when I saw his terrified face. No wonder they planned their pranks so carefully. Just before the bomb would explode, I slid slyly out of my seat. I might be James's girlfriend now, but that didn't mean I would get him out of the mess he had created himself. I decided to wait in the entrance hall. I seriously considered getting a stretcher for him from the hospital wing by the sounds I heard from inside, but before I'd even finished the thought, the bell rang and a whole mass of students rushed out from behind me. The yells were still sounding though, so McGonagall had, by no means finished giving scoldings and of course, detentions. I stood in the midst of the gathering crowd, debating on whether to proceed or not, when I saw someone. That someone caught my eye because he was looking towards me, down the staircase in the opposite direction of the students and also because he was James. I squinted, trying to make out how he ended up there, when Remus tapped on my shoulder. "Where's James?" I asked. " In detention." he answered. I looked again at James, who stood on the staircase, unnerved by the eyes that stared at him and the hands that shoved him. He had eyes only for me, and they bored into mine. I tried to make out the emotion they expressed, but he was so surrounded by people that I couldn't even see the colour of his eyes, much less the emotion in them.

Down at the lake, it was always calm and peaceful, unless of course, you had a pair of extremely indecent clowns with you. Remus and me sat side by side, reading while James and Sirius splashed around in the lake like small children and as I mentioned before, clowns. If not for the funniest home videos that began with verbal abuse of Peter and ended with me being drenched with the holy tentacles of the giant squid, I would have never noticed it. As I distangled myself from the hold of the slimy tentacles and James's arms to go and dry myself off, I glimpsed something golden in the shadow of the trees. Back on land I made to go towards it, but it disappeared. As it turned I saw two antlers. Then I blinked and it was gone. James's concerned eyes searched my face."You alright? You kind of look like you have been obliviated." "Must be you staring at me, causing that effect." I mumbled at him, not sure why I was lying. But he bought it immediately. The best way to warm up after an unexpected swim is to kiss James Potter, I decided as the blush in my cheeks rose the more feverish our kiss became. His one arm grabbed my waist, while the other cupped my cheek. Both my hands tugged at the nape of his hair as if they could act on there own. As I gasped after a long moment of snogging, I saw again the golden antlers and the fading glow. But I could not be sure of it as my head was spinning. After all, it could always be a memory, reforming itself in my distorted mind.


	3. Chapter 3: A queer sensation

Chapter 3: A queer sensation.

I was having the most blissful days of my life. What made them so, was, of course, being with the deflated version of James, which I had longed for since long, I realized, kissing the same version as much as I could, having fun with the Marauders, teasing Pete and most of all, making the indecent three of the crowd, which so did not include me and Remus, study for the NEWT's. What was even more surprising, was, that even with so many distractions and James's lips stuck to mine, I had managed to secure myself high grades in the mid-term exam.

I was, in short, thoroughly enjoying myself. I looked at the watch on my wrist. It showed some time that indicated that there were five minutes to the end of this utterly boring endure that was, I did not know why, called the History of Magic. I lazily wondered what they'd teach in this subject a thousand years later as I looked out of the window. Someone nudged me, but before I could turn to discover that it was James and Sirius both, who had, I saw a pair of eyes. They weren't owl's eyes. They weren't any bird's eyes. They weren't even an insect's. Nor an animals. All I could finally conclude was that those eyes were human. Or at least as human as eyes could be.

As we exited the History of Magic classroom, James, Remus and Sirius still snickering on the joke they'd told me which got no reaction due to my then on-going thought process, I heard the bell go off. "Come on, James. It's lunch time." I caught hold of James's arm thus, and dragged him off, not to the great hall, but to a secluded corridor. "Lily, the lunch is served down there. What are we doing here?" James looked at me with slighty raised eyebrows, a tiny smile and mischievious eyes that brought out the green flecks in them clear, even behind his old-man spectacles. "I need to know something." I said, weighing my words with great care,"Do you really really like me?" The words sounded stupid the moment they were out of my stupid mouth. I wanted to hide my face in embarassment, but I decided to settle for hanging it down. James laughed, after a moment of silence. Not the loud laugh he usually gave, a small one, almost quiet. Then he put a hand under my chin and pulled my face up."Lily." he breathed,"I don't like you Lily. I honestly don't." I felt my heart stop, and I think he must have sensed it too, because he continued quickly,"I love you. I've always loved you. Since forever. Ok, in a less sentimental manner, ever since we met." I started breathing again, much to his relief."And you're love will never fade, right?"I asked. "I'll stop loving you only when a mango grows on an apple tree in Antarctica on the 30th of February. Alright? So don't you worry." he pulled me closer. I giggled a little, surprised at his pick-up line of an answer and said,"It rhymes." "Well, we do seem to have a very good, rhythemic relationship." his eyes twinkled with the same mischief as his bent down to kiss me, and I stretched up to do the same.

As I lay in bed, I thought about what had made me hastily doubt James's feelings for me, which he had made so perfectly transparent the last few days. Then I knew why. I had been afraid. Without knowing it myself, I had been dead scared of the eyes out the window. I didn't know the reason except that I had thought they'd been watching me. And as for doubting James's feelings, I had wanted to make sure that he would be there for me, no matter what. I drew my pillow to my chest as a shiver ran down my back. I still could feel those eyes on me. The eyes that were as human as eyes could be.

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**A/N:**  
I'm so so sorry all those waiting for an update. I'd been trying to, but the slow internet of mine wouldn't let me connect to fanfiction. Anyway, here's the chapter. How do you like it? Cauz, come on, you gotta like it. I've worked on it big time. Oh and I'd like it if you review or follow or favourite as you've already done me a sweet favour of waiting and reading. Just so you know-there's a small button to the right that enables you to do so.

Merci! Madam, monseiur, toujours vous.

Learning French and trying to use it.

Yours,

Phoenix xoxo


	4. Chapter 4: Circle of light

Chapter 4: Circle of light.

The next day, right before I woke up, I had that queer sensation still wedged into me like a cardboard box wedged into the dumpster. When I woke up though, that feeling flowed away into a mossy green background. I smelled the scent of the forest floor, wondering whether I was still asleep, then pushing myself up on my knees, discovered that I was. I looked around, in front of me, behind me...and did a double take.

Behind me, still as a statue, was the biggest moron in the school and the first and only love of my life : not necessarily in that order.

As I stood up and neared the statue-James, my heart thuding wildly in my chest, the statue melted and his hand touched my cheek. I gave a sigh, half in fury and half in relief which ended after he had finished kissing me.

"How am I here? I distinctly remember sleeping in my own bed with no one else in it, that is. Unless you decided to suddenly break your promise and, well..." I coughed, looking down, suddenly not having any command over my mother-tongue. Speaking of mothers, I was going to die, unless nothing had happened.

"Did-did it happen?" I asked.

He smiled at my uneasiness, and shook his head. Then cocking it, asked,"Do you want to?"

"No!" I flinched. It wasn't a big deal, except, the way he looked at me...it was a look I'd never seen him wear before. That look was hungry. Like James wanted me so much, that it hurt him to even look at me.

"What are we doing here?" I asked again.

"You," he pointed a finger at me, "are doing nothing. I-" he thumbed himself,"am keeping you safe."

Worry, doubt, fear, curiousity crinkled my brows till they looked like knots in the Whomping Willow.

"What from?" I grabbed his arm as my stomach did a back-flip. Alone in the forest, I wished for Gryffindor courage, but without my wand on me, I felt like I were present here only mentally. James presence was what kept me grounded.

That presence of him incresed a ten-fold when he wrapped his arms around me and sighed into my hair. "Moony...he ran here, after you. Don't you remember anything? He- he tried to tackle his little problem, but he, failed..."

"No, I don't remember any of it...but I'm guessing you intervened, right?" I looked up into his eyes.

When he agreed, or I suppose he did, I noticed that his eyes gleamed in the dark, a beautiful amber, with less green than usual. That didn't bother me, except I knew James's eyes really well. They were eyes of gold. "James?" I whispered.

He bent towards me. "What's your favourite jam?" I asked as casually as I could, trying to stop the stream of many other questions that my mind bombarded at me.

No, it's James. How can it not be? Why would he keep me safe from Remus. It is a full-moon tonight, after all. Unless...

Before I could complete the thought, he had me scooped up into his arms and had silencio-ed me, because try as I might, I could not utter a word, or in this case, a cry.

That was when I did, what I had never done before, not even in the wildest fit of anger. I tore down fake-James's shirt and threw it on the ground. Not a heroic act at all, but hopefully a useful one.

Lily Evans might not be as physically strong as she ought to be, but she certainly was no dim-wit. I proudly pronounced those words in my mind. then, the pride was left behind as we slide down a slithery hole. And then all that remained, was me(and my flailing limbs), not-James James, a circle of light coming from the hole above, and a sphere of hope from where I started transmitting,"Lily to James: Come in, come in, red alert!" till I finally broke the cord with anger.

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**A/N: I know it's been a long while since I wrote, but I was on vacation and travelling. So sorry for the delay. I hope you like the new format and the twist in the story. Tell me by reviewing, please.**

**Thanks a lot for reading and sorry again,**

**Phoenix xoxo.**


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